The third Lacrosse Industry Summit is two weeks away, and Inside Lacrosse is excited to announce the afternoon keynote panel featuring Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Commissioner David Gross and National Lacrosse League (NLL) Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz in a discussion on how to drive the sport to new heights by growing the top of the pyramid.
Dave Gross is synonymous with Major League Lacrosse. After serving as the Vice President and GM of the Boston Cannons for three years, he joined the MLL as Chief Operating Officer in 2003. Gross became Major League Lacrosse’s first Commissioner in 2004 and has guided the league ever since.
Nick Sakiewicz joined the National Lacrosse League as Commissioner on January 4, 2016 after 21 years in Major League Soccer – as a founding executive, he was instrumental in building two stadiums, overseeing an expansion team, and raising over half a billion dollars to further League advancements. Under his leadership, the NLL has experienced substantial growth, including launching NLLTV.com, partnering with Twitter to live-stream select games, aligning with major brands to enhance the fan experience, and increasing ticket sales across the League’s U.S. and Canadian footprint.
The Summit, a gathering of the lacrosse industry’s influential professionals and thought leaders to share insights and spark discussions that will help shape the future of the sport, is set for Friday, May 26 ahead of the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse Championships in Boston.
The day-long conference will take place at the Ritz-Carlton Boston and begin with a continental breakfast. Two keynote discussions anchor the morning and afternoon sessions, with additional panel discussions programmed throughout the day. The day concludes with the popular and valuable networking cocktail reception. Dress code is business casual.
Tickets are available at the professional rate of $250. There is a special rate for students and non-profits of $150 for the day. All attendees will also receive a complimentary subscription to Inside Lacrosse.
Here are some of topics and speakers set for the event:
PANEL TOPICS
“Women Going Pro in Sports”
A panel of female former college athletes trace the lessons learned on the field to the work environment, discuss the unique aspects of working in sports at a variety of levels and share their thoughts on how to develop a thriving career.
“The Business of Events”
Participation events have been central to lacrosse’s growth, and this panel will discuss developing new event concepts, maximizing revenue opportunities, delivering exceptional value and customer satisfaction, and how changing legislation may affect the business.
“A Lacrosse Conversation with Joe Tsai”
A high school lacrosse player at Lawrenceville School (N.J.) and a collegiate lacrosse player at Yale, Tsai went on to join the founding group of Alibaba, the world’s largest e-commerce company. Still heavily involved in lacrosse, we can all learn tremendously from his experience and understanding of the global economy and trends, transposed onto a niche market.
“Growing the Top of the Pyramid”
The commissioners of the two pro leagues sit down to discuss the current state of the game and future of pro lacrosse.
“Maximizing Revenue: Selling Lacrosse”
Whether you’re involved with a club team, pro team, small camp or major event, media entity or athlete, this discussion will examine all angles and strategies needed to maximize revenue through advertising and sponsor which, while creating an engaging experience and promoting growth with partners.
“What’s Next for Sports Media?”
Broadcast. Cable. Satellite. OTT. Social. Streaming. Media has changed tremendously over the last generation, the last decade, the last year, the last quarter, and this conversation will dive into lacrosse’s place in sports media.
SPEAKERS
- Sue Byrne, Associate Athletic Director, Harvard
- Lee Corrigan, President and Founder, Corrigan Sports Enterprises
- Ashley Dabb, Chief Marketing Officer, National Lacrosse League
- Dan Flynn, Director of Business Development & Events, Inside Lacrosse
- Terry Foy, Publisher, Inside Lacrosse
- Ian Frenette, President, Boston Cannons
- Dave Gross, Commissioner, Major League Lacrosse
- Chris Hennessey, Director, Business Development Sports Sponsorship, Entercom
- Deirdre Lester, Global Head of Brand Partnerships, Whistle Sports
- Susie Piotrkowski, Director of Sponsorship Sales, Spartan Race
- Halley Quillinan, Women’s Editor, Inside Lacrosse
- John St. Pierre, CEO and Co-Founder of Legacy Global Sports
- Nick Sakiewicz, Commissioner, National Lacrosse League
- Tyler Steinhardt, GM, The Lacrosse Network
- Joseph Tsai, Vice-Chairman, Alibaba
- John Vassallo, Sr. Coordinating Producer, ESPN
- Katie Willett, Associate Commissioner, BIG EAST Conference
Check back to www.insidelacrosse.com in the coming weeks for the release of additional topics and panelists.
Lacrosse Industry Summit Schedule:
- 9 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.: Check In
- 9:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.: Morning Keynote and panel discussions
- 12:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.: Lunch Break
- 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.: Afternoon Keynote and panel discussions
- 4:30 – 6 p.m.: Networking Social
Please note that the schedule is subject to change.
Pricing:
Professional — $250
Student — $150
Do not miss out on this opportunity to engage with and learn from industry leaders in a professional setting. If you are interested in attending this January’s event, visit InsideLacrosse.com/summit for registration.
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